Firey Waves of Change
by Bardiel Angel
Summary: What happens when Zuko, Iroh, Aang, Sokka, and Katara get stuck on an island together? Will they overcome their differences just to survive? Or maybe some unexpected relationships start forming...Zutara rated T for later chapters
1. The Island

Disclaimer: Hey, guess who doesn't own Avatar: The Last Airbender? Me of course!

Summary:  What happens when Zuko, Iroh, Aang, Sokka, and Katara get stuck on an island together? Will they overcome their differences just to survive? Or maybe some unexpected relationships start forming…Zutara.

P.S. anything in italics is someone thinking!

-

The Island 

Zuko moaned as he started to sit upright, sand that had fallen on him slowly started pouring off of his back. His golden eyes fluttered open trying desperately to adjust to the strong sunlight. He scanned his surroundings with his pain-engulfed eyes. It was then that he noticed the throbbing, aching sensation in his right leg. He looked down to find it covered in blood and sand. It appeared to be broken. _Where the hell am I?_

He heard other moans in the distance. He tried to get up, but his leg would not let him. Finally realizing that he couldn't walk let alone stand, he started crawling to where the noises could be heard. As he dragged himself across the shoreline he finally saw a figure in the distance. "Uncle!" he called out. No answer. "Uncle! Can you hear me?"

"Prince Zuko? Is that you? Are you alright?"

Relief poured over Zuko at hearing his uncle's voice. "Yes, it's me. I'll be alright as soon as I get some rest." He lied through his teeth knowing that his leg needed more than rest. However, he didn't want to worry his uncle at a time like this. They had enough to worry about. And even though it didn't look like it, Zuko cared about his uncle a lot. After all, he was the only family he really had.

Just as his uncle came over to him he heard a moan coming from behind him. Needless to say he was surprised when the young water tribe boy who aided the Avatar came out of the clearing.

"Ouch, first I'm captured, then I'm blown off of a ship, which takes me to God knows where, and now I have a major headache…" he groaned unhappily.

"Well aren't you ever the optimist?" Zuko snickered with a smirk plastered on his face.

"Oh great! And on top of all that, I'm stuck with the likes of you! My day could not get any worse."

Before the two had a chance to fight, two more figures appeared from the brush. It was the water bender girl, who was holding the Avatar up with her shoulder. Her long dark brown locks flowed down her face from being strewn about after their little incident on the Fire Nation Warship. Even with her hair in her face, you could still make out her clear, unwavering, blue eyes.

"Sokka, stop picking fights and help me lay Aang down…" she stated in a calm, cool demeanor.

Sokka grumbled to himself but eventually went over to help his sister. Iroh bent down to look at Zuko's leg. "You'll be fine once you rest hhmm?" Zuko knew he couldn't fool his uncle, but he just didn't want him to worry. "Prince Zuko, as thick as your head is I don't think you're _that_ stupid." Iroh said, wisdom covering his aged and rigid face.

"I'm sorry uncle, forgive me. I didn't want you to be concerned…"

"Very well Prince Zuko, but remember, I'm always concerned about you."

Once Katara and Sokka had laid Aang down to rest they looked over at Zuko and his uncle. Uncle Iroh was examining his nephew's leg with an intensity that was not normally part of his character.

"In my professional, medical opinion…your leg's messed up." Uncle Iroh stated.

"No kidding!" growled an angry Zuko. Anyone could tell that his leg needed help. "Uncle, you can be such a pain sometimes."

Katara could tell immediately that he needed to see a doctor very soon. Otherwise his leg could become infected. But this wasn't her problem she thought. _Why should I have to help him? After all he has been tracking my brother, my friend, and me down for who knows how long. He deserves it._ Then she noticed the pain in his eyes. She could tell he was in an immense amount of pain, and yet, he seemed more concerned about his uncle than himself. This surprised her. Here his leg was broken, had a huge gash, and was extremely bloody. Where as his uncle only had a little scrape on his forehead.

"I told you Prince Zuko, it's just a scratch. Calm down, I'll be fine."

"Fine, but you better take care of it. Honestly uncle, think about yourself sometimes."

Finally, after everyone made sure they were alright, Uncle Iroh spoke.

"Maybe we should start to look for some food. I don't think anyone's going to find us anytime soon. We should all start to find shelter and something edible."

Sokka went into the woods to find food, and Uncle Iroh went to find fresh water. Which left Katara with an arrogant Prince and a peacefully sleeping Aang. A lot of time passed by without any conversation, but finally as it started to get dark, conversation arose.

"What's taking uncle so long?" asked Zuko in an annoyed voice.

"Well Sokka's taking forever too. I just hope he's okay."

Suddenly Sokka and Uncle Iroh appeared out of the brush. "Miss us?" Sokka was grinning ear to ear while holding up the fruit, nuts, and rabbits he had found.

"Wow Sokka! You really are a good hunter."

"Well, actually the old guy helped me." he said in a sheepish tone while pointing rudely at Uncle Iroh.

Iroh was grinning as well. "I found a natural spring nearby, so if any of you need water, just ask and I'll show you where it is."

Just then Aang groaned and finally woke up. "Uuuuhhh, what'd I miss?" he asked, scratching his head.

"Not much, Sokka and this old guy found food and water. I think we're going to be on this island for a while."

Just as Zuko reached over to grab a fruit, Sokka hit his hand. "Hey! That's not for you! That's for Aang and my sister. Who said you could have any you mangy fire bender!"

"What! Who do you think you are you stupid peasant boy! I'm a Prince and my uncle helped you find that! I can have some if I want!"

Both Zuko and Sokka started fuming and growling at each other. "Well then come and get some dirty fire bender!" Sokka yelled.

"I will!" But as soon as Zuko tried to get up to fight Sokka, he screamed in intolerable pain. He fell to the ground clenching his injured leg, gritting his teeth and mumbling something under his breath. His leg started bleeding again, which was not good seeing as how none of them had bandages.

"Zuko, how did your leg get like this in the first place?" Katara asked.

"It's a long story that I don't want to get into right now. Besides, it's none of your business."

Katara hated him! Why did he have to be so rude? She was just trying to be nice. Why'd he have to get so bent out of shape? Can't he just accept help from other people for once! Geez…

Soon night fell with Zuko and Uncle Iroh with a campfire in one spot, and Sokka, Katara, and Aang trying desperately to make one for themselves. Sokka had insisted on being kept away from Zuko and his uncle, so they had a separate camp. Once they were just about to give up Zuko spoke.

"You! Water bender girl! Move aside for a minute."

"What? Why should I?"

"Just do it!"

Katara moved aside. Sokka was getting suspicious of Zuko talking to his sister, so he hugged her towards himself to protect her. No sooner had she moved, fire burst out of Zuko's hand and shot right towards them! Sokka, Katara, and Aang braced themselves for the impact, but it never came. They opened their eyes up to see a roaring fire in front of them. Katara looked over at Zuko with puzzlement written all over her face. _Why did he help us? He has no reason to. I'm so confused._

"That was a very kind act Prince Zuko." Iroh stated with a smile on his face.

"I'm not kind uncle, I just couldn't stand listening to them yell at each other about how to do it right. That's all." He slowly started to frown. He knew that his uncle could tell what his intentions were. He was kind. He just didn't like showing it. Uncle, I think we should try to form a truce with them while we're here. We need each other's help in order to survive on this island.

"That's a wonderful idea Prince Zuko. We'll run it by them in the morning. Until then why don't we get some sleep? A man needs his rest you know."

"Very well, good night uncle."

"Good night Prince Zuko."

Iroh waited up with his nephew until he drifted into slumber. The sounds of the night calmed him, and the crickets serenaded him. Stars twinkled above as he closed his eyes and drifted off into a dream filled sleep.

-------------------------------------------

Zuko woke the next morning to a pair of beautiful, clear, blue eyes. As his eyes adjusted to the light, he yawned, and stretched his arms out. The water bender girl was sitting next to him, looking out at the ocean. "Good morning Zuko." She said.

"Uumm, good morning. Where's my uncle?"

"Oh, he left this morning to get water. Sokka went to get more fruit, and Aang left to meditate." Her eyes seemed to have a puzzled look to them, like she had been in deep thought before he woke up. "I need to ask you something." there was a brief pause. "Why did you help us last night? You didn't have to do that you know. I don't see why you would have done that. You hate us. You've been trying to capture my friend. Why would you be kind to us?"

"First of all I'm not kind. So don't tell me I am. I have done nothing kind. I simply couldn't stand to hear all of you bickering about how to start a simple fire. I mean even if you aren't fire benders, you could still rub two sticks together, or use some flint. It's not that hard. Didn't you and your brother have to make fires a lot when you lived in the South Pole? You guys really are stupid."

Katara bit her lower lip while trying not to lash out or yell at Prince Zuko. "Oh, I'm sorry Prince Zuko, I didn't think that it was such a crime to think you could be nice for a change." And with that she left in a huff to sit down somewhere else and practice her water bending. Water bending always calmed her. She let out a long sigh, trying to forget what Zuko had just said to her.

Then, no sooner had she opened her bottle of practicing water, she heard a thud behind her. She whipped around to find Zuko lying on the ground panting heavily and sweating. It looked as if he couldn't catch his breath.

"Oh dear God." she said in a whisper. "Zuko? Are you alright?" She leaned over him and noticed that his pupils were dilated. "This can't be good, he looks really sick. He really does need a doctor. I just hope he isn't infected." She rolled up his pant leg to get a better look at the wound. There was a huge gash, but luckily the bleeding had stopped a while ago. She reached for her bottle of water and poured it onto her slender hands. The water enveloped them and started to glow and form around her hands like a glove. Then, gently, she rubbed the water over his wound. It started to heal right before her eyes. A few moments later it had healed, maybe not completely, but good enough for now. At least he started to breath regularly. His sweating stopped as well.

An hour later he woke up. He looked around, but no one was in sight. He looked down at his leg and saw that it was wrapped in a bandage and had a splint around it. He was confused. _Who did this?_

That's when Sokka, Uncle Iroh, Aang, and Katara came back. Zuko looked up at Katara's face. _Wow, I never noticed how kind her face looks. She looks just like…_her Uncle Iroh looked down at Zuko and noticed the look on his face. "Well Prince Zuko, it appears as if Miss Katara healed your leg for the most part."

"Yes, it appears so. Thank you. You didn't have to show me kindness though, especially after how I treated you."

Everyone looked at him in shock. _Did he really just say that?_ "Uuuhh, you're welcome, I guess." Katara just barely managed to get the words out. He seemed so strange that one minute he could be harsh and ruthless, and the next be kind and thoughtful. _What makes him tick?_ Katara thought. _Maybe I should find out. Who knows, maybe I'll see something I didn't see before…_

_------------------------------------------------  
_

What do you guys think? Good? Bad? Ugly? Read and Review or your life is forfeit!

YYYAAARRRGGHHHH!


	2. Talking with Iroh

**Disclaimer:** Hey guess who STILL doesn't own Avatar: The Last Airbender? STILL ME!

**Special Thanks:** I want to thank the following people for reviewing the first chapter. If you review my story, then I put you in the special thanks list for the next chapter!

-Lunachaos

-almostinsane

-nori12

-Lionessmon

On with the show!

**Talking with Iroh**

Katara was utterly confused by Zuko. One minute, it seemed like he was trying to bite her head off, and the next minute he would apologize and be polite. She wanted desperately to find out what made him tick. Now that she though about it, she really didn't know anything about him. Anything except his favorite color, red, but that was a given.

Zuko once again tried to get up. His leg wasn't bleeding or had a cut anymore, but it was still broken. That was something Katara couldn't fix. At least she helped him before his infection became any worse. He was grateful for that. What he couldn't understand was why she even helped him in the first place. He had been totally and completely rude to her. Not only that, but he has tried numerous times to kill her and her brother. And on top of all that he was trying to capture the Avatar, who just so happened to be her friend. He had to know what made her tick. Now that he thought about it, he really didn't know anything about her. Anything except her favorite color, blue, but that was a given.

He looked over at her; his piercing gold eyes seemed to stare into her soul. It was almost like he was searching for something deep within her. Katara suddenly felt like she was being watched. She looked around and found Zuko looking at her in a strange way.

"Yes? You need something?" Zuko snapped back into reality and realized he was staring at her.

"Uh, no, I was just enjoying the scenery." _SHIT! Where did that come from?_

"Excuse me?" Katara blurted out. _I can't believe this, he was looking right at me. He did NOT just say that…_

"Best to not ask him that question Miss Katara." Said Uncle Iroh. "He doesn't mean anything he says." "That's not true!" Zuko shouted. 

"Oh, I see, then you _were _staring at Miss Katara, and "enjoying the scenery"." Zuko had just about had it with his uncle. He sent him a death glare. It looked as if fire was shooting out from behind his eyes. Uncle Iroh stopped teasing him, knowing that one more comment could push him over the edge.

Sokka thankfully did not hear this conversation. When he returned with more food, he noticed Zuko's evil glare at his uncle who had a nervous grin on his face.

"What'd I miss?" he asked.

"Not much," said Aang with a chuckle, "Zuko was just staring at Katara admiringly, that's all."

"WHAT!" Sokka nearly had a heart attack right then and there. His face turned bright red, and steam came out of his nostrils. He was fuming mad, and you could tell. He ran over to Zuko and held his shirt collar, pulling Zuko's face up to meet his.

"Would you mind explaining to me what this is all about?" Sokka asked through clenched teeth.

"Look, calm down." Zuko responded calmly to even his uncle's surprise, "It's nothing like that, put me down or you're going to get hurt." His eyes started to stare at Sokka with the same glare he gave his uncle earlier. Sokka tried to be brave and still held onto him, even though he choked down the lump in his throat. He could tell Zuko was serious, but he had a broken leg. What could he possibly do to him?

After a silent moment Zuko grabbed Sokka's shirt and held him up in the air. "I TOLD YOU TO LET GO OF ME!" he shouted. He threw Sokka with a great deal of strength, which sent him flying into the jungle-like forest.

Katara gasped and ran after her brother. She clambered around, trying to locate him. When she finally heard him groan, she followed his voice. He wasn't too far away. She Knelt next to him and held his head up.

"Are you okay?" she murmured.

"Yeah, but my back is killing me. I didn't think he would have the strength to actually throw me."

"Well apparently he does." She said with a slight laugh. "Don't get in his way. We still have no idea what he is capable of. We should find out his limitations before acting okay?"

"You always were the smart one." He chuckled.

Katara helped carry him back to camp. As they came through the clearing toward the beach, all eyes fell on them.

"Are you okay Sokka?" Aang said worriedly. "You didn't break anything did you?"

"No, I'll be fine. It takes a lot more than that to injure me." Sokka glared at Zuko, who didn't seem to notice or care in the least. His attention was on a small piece of paper. His expression wasn't of anger, angst, or rage like it normally was. His expression was rather that of sadness, loneliness, and despair.

"What cha got there?" Sokka asked casually.

"None of your business." Zuko whispered. He didn't even hiss at him. He simply stated it coolly and calmly.

Iroh had a sad expression on his face as well. He walked over to Zuko and put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry." He said. "I miss her too." We'll do something to honor her tomorrow okay?"

Zuko simply nodded and tucked the piece of paper into his shirt. He looked up at his uncle and seemed to be speaking to him telepathically. His uncle's only response was a pat on the shoulder. "Why don't the five of us share a fire tonight?" Iroh asked with a smile. "We could swap stories!" Katara, Aang, and Sokka looked at each other. They liked Zuko's uncle. He was warm and friendly. He had a charismatic way about him. So they all sat together.

Through the night Iroh told embarrassing stories about Zuko's childhood, causing a lot of needed laughter. Zuko merely grumbled or yelled at his uncle. Everyone needed to relax, and Uncle Iroh would make sure everyone got just that.

The next morning Katara awoke to find Aang taking to Zuko! They were whispering about things. She couldn't make out what they were saying, but she felt that Aang was dangerously close to Zuko.

"Aang! What are you doing?" her puzzled expression gave away her worries. Zuko and Aang looked up. Aang smiled at her in his usual manner. "Oh, good morning Katara. Glad you're up!"

"Aang you didn't answer my question. What are you doing?" she crossed her arms, hoping to have the look of authority instead of the look of "worry wart."

"I'm having a conversation with Zuko. Why? What's wrong?" Aang truly didn't see the harm in talking to Zuko.

"Don't you get it Avatar? She thinks I'm going to hurt you or something. She assuming the worst of me as always…" a sly smirk stretched across his face as Katara's mouth gaped open.

"That's not true! I'm not assuming anything! I was just wondering what you were doing. Is that a crime!"

"No, it's absolutely not, but then again you're not telling the truth. Don't you trust the Avatar's judgment?"

"Of course I do. And he has a name you know, it's Aang! And don't you forget it!"

"I think I made her angry." Zuko whispered into Aang's ear. Aang laughed while holding his stomach. Katara growled and stomped off to find a place to calm down.

She walked through the dense forestation. Then she heard a familiar sound. It was running water! She ran through the brush to find that the source of the sound was a natural spring. Iroh was kneeling over the water with a pool of it in his hands. He was taking a sip when he heard her approaching. He turned around and smiled. "Well, hello Miss Katara, did you sleep well?"

She knelt down next to him. He saw her angered expression. "What has my silly nephew done now?" his warm voice comforted her. She didn't know why, but he reminded her of her mother. His mannerisms and wisdom were just like hers. She couldn't help it. She broke down and started crying in his arms. She grasped his robe as if it were a lifesaver. "My, my, was it really that bad?"

She looked up at him with tear filled eyes. "Why do you even care about him? He's mean, and rude, and arrogant." She choked through sobs, "He's also conceited, angry, and he picks on me. I don't know how, but he always manages to push everyone's buttons. He can even get the most mild-tempered people's blood to boil. What do you see in him? Why do you love him and protect him? He doesn't deserve it!"

Iroh looked down at Katara with a smile still on his face. "If you knew him like I know him, you'd understand." She quickly looked up. Surprise and shock covered her face.

"He has a different side to him?" she asked.

"He most certainly does. Have you ever wondered what he was like before you met him?" A stern expression replaced the warm smile that once occupied his gentle face.

"Well, sometimes." She muttered.

"When Zuko was a baby, his mother took care of him. My brother, not wanting to occupy his time with children, asked me to help her raise him. I had a son and a wife at the time, so I had experience in that field. From the time he was born I knew he would do great things someday. When he was growing up, he was polite, charming, and well mannered. He had a wonderful smile and loved the world he lived in. He was the only Prince in our kingdom's history who actually spent time with the Fire Nation citizens. The people of our nation loved him. He was trained in many different fields, and excelled in all of them. He was indeed a Prince worthy of the title. But my brother, felt that he was too sympathetic and weak minded. My brother never cared about him." Iroh's stern expression slowly turned into one of sadness.

"What happened to him?" Katara asked, wonder and amazement in her eyes.

"Well, one day he asked me if he could accompany me in the War Room. He said that if he were to be the Fire Lord someday, then he should become exposed to it as much as possible before then. I let him come, a mistake I will never make again. The General's plan was to attack the Earth Kingdom's best fighters with our new recruits."

"But they would be killed. There's no way new recruits can stand against the Earth Kingdom's best forces."

"Right you are Miss Katara, they couldn't. They would be a diversion. While the Earth Kingdom forces were busy with them, our best fire benders would ambush them from behind."

"Sacrifices! They would become sacrifices!" Katara jumped up in alarm. Never in her life had she ever heard of someone using people as bait in times of war. She thought that as many men as possible would be needed. Her eyes shook at the thought of hopeful, bright, young, recruits being killed without even a chance.

"Prince Zuko felt the same way. He told the General that by using them this way, he was betraying the people of the Fire Nation. He said that they couldn't just sacrifice them as if they were nothing. However, Prince Zuko wasn't allowed to speak out in the War Room. By confronting the General, he dishonored himself. An agni kai was issued. Who ever won would retain their honor. Zuko thought that he would be fighting the General. But it was his father's War Room he dishonored. So, when he turned around to fight, he came face to face with his own father. He begged him to forgive him. He groveled at his father's feet. The Fire Lord told him to get up and fight, but he refused. That's when the Fire Lord burned Prince Zuko's left eye. After the battle, he was banished and told that he could never return home unless he captured the Avatar and delivered him to his father."

"He was burned by his own father?" Katara couldn't believe it. All this time she thought it was a training accident. But in actuality it ran much deeper than she thought.

"That's why I care about him Miss Katara. Although he can seem mean, vengeful, arrogant, and conceited, he is still the young boy from all those years ago. I have hope that one day, he will return to his former self. His emotional scar will finally heal itself, and he will be free from misery. Do you understand now?"

"Yes, yes I do." Katara said with a tear in her eye. "I had no idea." She slowly got up and dusted off her clothes. "Thank you so much Uncle Iroh. You don't know how much I appreciate you telling me all of this." With that she left the clearing, a newfound emotion of pity mixed with guilt flooded over her.

As she left the forest, she looked out towards the ocean. She stood there and watched the ebb and flow of the waves. In, out, in, out. She loved its constant motion. Then she looked over to find Zuko watching it too, alone. He sighed a gentle sigh and rested his chin in the palm of his hand. She then walked over to him, getting down on her knees she slowly reached over and hugged him.

"I'm so, I'm so sorry." She whispered. "I never should have been mean to you, you've been through enough." She started to cry again, but this time it was in his chest, not Iroh's. He looked down at her amazed, stumped actually. _What was she talking about?_

"Are you feeling alright?" he asked in a soothing, calm, tone. Her sudden outburst of affection caused him to slightly blush. No one had ever willingly been that close to him. He suddenly found himself wanting to hug her back, but couldn't find the strength or courage to.

"Your uncle told me how you got that burn." She said through sobs.

"What!" Zuko was completely taken by surprise. His uncle promised that he would never say anything about it to someone unless ha had a good reason. _What was his uncle up to?_ Just thinking about it made him want to cry. His father in general made him want to cry.

"I'm sorry, no one should have to go through something like that for a silly thing like honor, not even you Zuko. You don't deserve that." Zuko's eyes widened. _What did she say? Did she just say that I didn't deserve to be treated that way? This must be a dream._ He looked down at her small frame. Her arms were tightly wrapped around his muscular body. Even though he had a shirt on, she could tell he was fit. He slowly bent down and hugged her back. He didn't say anything except for a "thank you". He reluctantly let go of her after that. He hadn't been hugged in a long time. Not since his mother died. He breathed in and was thankful that someone had finally understood his pain.

Hey what'd you guys think? Are my chapters too long, too short, or just right? Please review. If you want me to continue you have to review. I know who you are! You guys sitting at home on your computers, JUST reading. I want some reviewing action! Click the button!

P.S. I hope I updated soon enough!


	3. A Sudden Outburst

**Disclaimer:** It just makes me even more depressed to mention the fact that I don't own Avatar the Last Airbender. But hey, I'm making my mom watch it with me. She likes it too. She's funny because she likes anime. Oh, good times, good times.

**Special Thanks:** Here's a list of people who have reviewed my story so far. If you review, then I put you on my special thanks list. This is for people who have reviewed either of the two previous chapters.

-LunaChaos

-almostinsane

-nori12

-Lionessmon

-MattsLittleSister

-Alexandra Bordeaux

-ElfLuver13

-Arya Svit-Kona

-C.A.M.E.O.1 and only

-ditz4lyf

-Rebirth of the Poenix

On with the show!

A Sudden Outburst 

Uncle Iroh had seen Zuko and Katara hug from a safe distance. "He's finally found a sympathetic person in his life it seems." Uncle Iroh couldn't help but to smile. He wanted so badly for Zuko to be happy. Zuko had always been like a son to him, ever since his own son and wife had died. This of course was his brother's doing. He hoped that Zuko would soon realize that he needed to join the Avatar to get revenge on his father for what he did. He didn't want to push his nephew into it, he had wanted him to discover this on his own.

As Katara and Zuko separated from their hug she looked at him and smiled. His face seemed much softer and kinder looking in the pale sunlight that engulfed the island. They both looked over towards the sunset. Zuko's heart overflowed with happiness. He finally found a person in this world who thought that he didn't deserve to be burned, besides his uncle that is. She seemed different to him all of the sudden. She seemed to have the aura of a mother. She reminded him of his own mother.

Katara noticed that he was staring at her. "What is it Zuko?" Zuko suddenly started blush. He turned away. _What's wrong with me? Why can't I look at her?_ "Uuuhh it's nothing. You just, look like my mother. That's all." Katara was shocked. She was a water bender and his mother must have been a fire bender, so how could she look like his mother?

"How do I look like her?" She was starting to suspect that she wasn't an ordinary fire bender.

Zuko looked up and pulled a tiny piece of paper out of his shirt. It was the paper he was looking at the other day. He slowly handed the precious paper over to her to look at. It was a picture of a beautiful woman. She had warm, brownish red eyes, a kind and everlasting smile, but her most striking feature was her tan skin and dark brown hair. "Is this your mother?" Zuko nodded a "yes". "She looks like a water bender!"

"Yes, it may seem so, but she's not. The Fire Nation is split into four sections, north, south, east, and west. The Western and Southern fire benders have dark skin and brown hair, much like water benders. Katara looked at the picture some more. Then she noticed the cutest little boy was wrapped up in her arms. He had the biggest smile she had ever seen. He seemed so happy. He was maybe about four to five years old. He had the same eyes and jet-black hair tied up in a high ponytail.

"Zuko, that little boy…is that you?" Zuko's expression turned to one of embarrassment. He nodded again.

"OH MY GOD YOU WERE SSSOOOO CUTE!" Katara squealed. Zuko quickly sat up in shock from how loud and excited she became. She started giggling uncontrollably. Her cheeks turned a slight shade of red as she stared at the picture. "What happened?" she asked with a smirk. Zuko's face turned bright red. "Well if I didn't have this scar I'd be much better looking okay?" He turned away from her with his arms crossed. She laughed and got up. She dusted the sand off and handed him the picture. "She really was beautiful. I'm glad you think I'm beautiful too." She smiled. Her cheeks turned red again, but not from excitement.

Zuko watched as she started to walk away. "Wait, Katara!" She whirled around to face him. "Yes?" she asked, a smile still on her face. "I would be honored if you, your brother, and Aang joined my uncle and I once we get off this island." He gulped. "And let you guys hand us in willingly? I don't think so." Zuko began to stutter. "Uh, no, that's not what I meant. I meant that we would like to join you three in your quest, to dethrone and kill my father. My uncle and I want to help." Katara stood there in awe. "Well this is certainly a sudden outburst. I'll talk to Sokka and Aang about it." With that she left.

Zuko sighed heavily. "Uncle? Are you going to hide there in the bushes all day, or are you going to come out?" His uncle emerged with a sheepish grin on his face. "Well, it appears that my days as a ninja are numbered…" "Uncle," Zuko interrupted, "You never were a ninja." Zuko looked at his uncle with one eyebrow raised. "Well, then they are over before they began." Iroh smiled. "I believe you made the right choice Prince Zuko." Zuko stared out to sea once again. "Me too uncle, I think I made the right choice too."

"HE WANTS TO WWWHHAAATTTT!" Sokka shouted. "No Way! He is NOT joining us!" Sokka was fuming. He hated Zuko with more passion than his love for food.

"Why not?" Aang asked. "I had a really nice conversation with him. You wouldn't believe some of the stuff he's been through. He even showed me a picture of what he looked like before he was burned." Katara perked up at hearing this. _He has a picture huh? I want to see it. Maybe he really was cute up until the scar incident._ "I think Zuko wants to open up to us Sokka, besides he promised me that he'd teach me fire bending as soon as he could walk."

"When was this?" Katara asked. "I don't remember him saying anything about that."

"Oops, I guess I forgot to mention it. He said that he and Uncle Iroh would teach me. Isn't that great!"

"Oh sure, it's great, loads of fun." Sokka said sarcastically. "I wonder what other fun things he has planned for us."

"Well two out of three say that it's okay. I'll go tell him." Katara started getting up. Just then a hand grabbed her. She looked down. Sokka's worried face looked up at her.

"No Katara, I don't like you going to talk to him alone. I'll come with you."

"No Sokka, you'll just cause trouble. I can talk to him on my own." She turned to leave again, but Sokka once again grabbed her. "Sokka would you let go of me?"

"You don't understand Katara, even though he has a broken leg, he still is a boy."

"And?"

"An OLDER boy."

"Your point being?"

"He still has hormones, he could easily pin you down. He's strong you know. It takes a lot to throw me as far as he did."

"Sokka, I'm sure he wouldn't do anything like that to me. He's too traditional. He has pride. He wouldn't stoop to that kind of level. He wouldn't do stuff like that."

"Stuff like what?" Aang asked. His head was slightly cocked to the side. Katara and Sokka just looked at him and sighed.

"Don't worry about it Aang. You'll find out when you're older."

"Okay, I'm older now, how about now?"

"No Aang, just forget about it. Sokka, I'm going. If you're going to come with me, then don't talk to him okay?"

"But…"

"Promise?" Katara was pointing her finger at Sokka so he had no choice but to listen to her.

"Fine, I promise." The two siblings left Aang to practice his air bending. As they walked side-by-side Katara looked up at her brother. He really cared about her, she could tell. He was always looking out for her. She loved him more than anyone else in the world, but also hated him at the same time. She wished that he would let her be a little more independent instead of thinking that ever guy in the world wanted to rape her in some way or form. She let out a sigh that caught Sokka's attention.

"What's wrong? Are you still mad at me?" He looked down at his feet, ashamed that he made his sister so upset.

"No, I was just thinking about how much I love you, that's all." She looked up at him again with a smile that he returned back to her.

"I'm sorry. I really should explain to you why I'm so protective of you. There are four reasons. The first reason is that I'm your older brother, and as your older brother I am obligated to protect you. The second reason is that I'm a boy, and as a boy I'm obligated to protect you…"

"Wow, I'm just one big obligation huh?"

"No! Let me finish! The third reason is that I love you. I feel the need to protect you because I love you. The last reason is that mom made me promise to protect you the day before she died. I don't want to go back on my word."

Katara stared at her brother in awe. He really DID care about her. She wasn't just an obligation to him. She could see why he was so protective of her now. And now that she thought about it, she rather have an over protective brother than an under protective brother. She felt better now.

They finally reached where Zuko was sitting. Nighttime had already fallen over the island. Zuko started a fire and heard them coming. He looked up and noticed that Katara was smiling again. How he loved it when she smiled.

"Hi Zuko. We though about your offer and we decided that you and Uncle Iroh are the newest members of our team!" Zuko was genuinely glad, but didn't smile. He simply stated a "Good…" under his breath.

Uncle Iroh and Aang arrived and everyone ate their freshly caught dinner. Laughter and stories from Uncle Iroh were a common tradition now. All laughed, except for Zuko.

"Prince Zuko?"

"Yes uncle?"

"Why don't you laugh or smile for once?"

"Why should I?"

"Why shouldn't you?"

Aang, Katara, and Sokka started laughing. They knew where this was going, and they couldn't wait.

"Prince Zuko, I bet you that the four of us are going to be able to get you to laugh and or smile by dinner time tomorrow night!"

"Oh really? How much you wanna bet?" Zuko found that this was a great opportunity to prove that he had no weaknesses. And Uncle Iroh saw this as an opportunity to prove that Zuko had weaknesses, that he was in fact human.

"Alright then, it's a deal!"

YAY! Another chapter done! With little time to spare! Review you lazy people review! I'll put your name on my list! I'll recognize and demonstrate your kindness to the world! NOW PRESS THAT BUTTON DAMN IT!


	4. Laughter Awaits

**Disclaimer: **When have I ever owned Avatar the Last Airbender? NEVAH!

P.S. WATCH OUT FOR FLUFF AND MUSH! Sorry I haven't updated soon enough! Next chapter will be quicker, I promise…

Special Thanks: Once again my list is here. And I'm happy to say that I have more to add to my growing list! Remember: You review, your name's put on my "thank you" list. This is to let everyone know that I love reviewers. They're so helpful! These names are of people who have reviewed 1 or more of my chapters. Thanks guys! 

LunaChaos -ditz4lyf

almostinsane -Rebirth of Phoenix

nori12 -Dolphin Water

Lionessmon -FireChildSlytherin5

MattsLittleSister -Zutara Lover

Alexandra Bordeaux -sesshoumaru's son

ElfLuver13

Arya Svit-Kona

C.A.M.E.O.1 and only

On with the Show!

Laughter Awaits 

Zuko didn't want to have any chance of laughing or smiling. He didn't want to loose the bet he had made with his uncle. He knew that the entire day would consist of him being bombarded with bad jokes, strange faces, and unusual antics. He was not looking forward to it. His plan was to just avoid everyone for the day. He knew he couldn't do that completely, but he would try his best. Besides, he didn't know how funny these people were. He didn't know if he was going to crack or not.

"Hi Zuko! I didn't know you were awake!" Aang shouted in his ear.

"Oh, good morning Aang." Zuko sounded less than enthusiastic at seeing the young Avatar.

"Wanna hear a funny joke?"

"No."

"Puuullllleeeeeeezzzzzz"

"I said no and I mean no. Where is my uncle?"

"Oh, he's getting a drink of water and watching Katara water bend."

Without saying another word he left the Avatar before he could even work his new joke into the conversation. _This is going to be harder to avoid them than I thought._ Zuko soon walked to the clearing. His leg had finally showed improvement and he could now walk.

"Oh Zula," he sighed to himself, "What happened to you?" He looked down at his right leg. _Maybe she really does hate me now. It used to be so different._ He couldn't help but to wish that things were how they used to be, all those years ago. He missed his sister's kindness and understanding. But, like all sad stories, she changed and grew a hatred for him so fierce that she tried to kill him. More than once too. He gulped down his pain and entered the clearing where his uncle and Katara were. She was practicing her water bending and Uncle Iroh was sipping some spring water. Suddenly at seeing Zuko Katara and Iroh stopped what they were doing and started grinning mischievously at him.

"Ah shit." Zuko said.

"What?" Katara asked in a seemingly innocent voice. Her plans were given away by the smirk still planted on her face. Uncle Iroh suddenly stepped up to Zuko and started to stare at him. It almost looked like he was examining him. "You know you want to smile Zuko…"

"Who said I did."

"I think you do. C'mon. Smile, pretty please with a cherry on top?"

"Uncle, I would like to take this moment to say that you're despicable."

"You know you want to. Just think about it Zuko. If you laugh, or even just grin…Katara will be all over you!"

"UNCLE!" Zuko's face flushed a bright, unhideable red. He stepped back with a frown and turned around so Katara couldn't see his face. Unbeknownst to him, she did see. She too blushed at Uncle Iroh's comment. _I didn't know Zuko was so shy…this is getting interesting. Maybe I could play around with this._

"Well you know Zuko…he's right. I'd be all over you if you just smiled once." An evil grin spread across her face. Iroh was surprised to hear her say this, but then realized her devious plan.

Zuko suddenly turned around to face her. "You're kidding right?"

"Absolutely not. Would I lie about something like this?" Zuko thought about that for a minute and decided that yes, she would lie about something like that. Her grin gave her away.

"I still won't." He declared. "You guys might as well give up right now. I'm not going to laugh or smile through bribery. Nice try, but you'll have to do better than that." Now he was the one with the evil grin. Katara and Iroh suddenly slunk down into a hunch. Their faces had a pout on them as they started to sulk.

"Aw nuts." Uncle Iroh said with a mope.

"Yeah, nuts. Well, it's up to Aang and Sokka now. Our plans have failed."

"Yup."

As Zuko left the clearing and headed back to the beach he heard a commotion coming from the right of him. He decided to investigate and finally found Sokka yelling at a tree.

"What on Earth are you doing?" Zuko asked in an annoyed voice.

"Oh Zuko, hi, could you give me a hand. I'm trying to reach this fruit, but I can't seem to reach it."

"Can't you climb the tree?"

"Oh, yeah, you're right… never mind then!"

"God you're an idiot."

"Well I don't see you hunting at all. At least I'm trying to help out. You should do the same."

"Fine."

Soon sunrise came and Sokka, Aang, Katara, and Iroh gathered to come up with a new strategy.

"What the hell are we gonna do?"

"I don't know Sokka, even Uncle Iroh doesn't know what makes him laugh. We can't even get him to smile instead of grin."

"This is frustrating." Said Aang. "We've been trying to get him to laugh all day and nothing has worked."

"Are we going to give up?" Iroh's question sunk in. "Yeah, we have to."

"THIS BLOWS!" screamed Sokka in frustration.

"Sokka! Don't say stuff like that around Aang! He'll ask questions!" Katara glared at him with a warning look on her face.

"Fine fine! Geez, I'm sorry…the she-devil rears her ugly head…" Katara's face went from a warning glare to a killing glare in less than a second. Her face turned red and steam came out of her nostrils.

"SOKKA YOU'RE SUCH A JERK!" she screamed so loud that Zuko heard her and rushed to find out what happened. As he stepped into the clearing he saw Katara holding Sokka up above her head, screaming as loud as she could. Uncle Iroh and Aang were shocked speechless. Then Katara threw Sokka to the ground and started clobbering him.

"Mercy! Mercy Katara! Mercy!" he whimpered and begged. Then Katara finally stopped as she heard an unfamiliar sound. She looked up and saw Zuko laughing! He was holding his stomach and tears were rolling down his face from how hard he was laughing. He had the most wonderful and light-hearted laugh she had ever heard. And his smile was even more striking. She had never seen him without a smirk, grin, or frown. This was completely different, it showed the real him.

"Oh My God Sokka! You're getting beat up by your sister!" he tried to speak but ever other word was separated by laughter. "And you always brag about how you're some great warrior! YEAH RIGHT!" Finally after a few minutes he started to stop laughing. "Uuuuhhh that was a good laugh…" that's when he realized what he said…_laugh_.

"Aw shit."

"YES! WE WIN WE WIN WE WIN!" Uncle Iroh started jumping up and down with happiness. "You said we couldn't, but we did!" Iroh ran over and hugged Zuko, who simply grumbled a bit and mumbled something to himself. "Don't be a spoiled sport Zuko."

"Who said I'm being a spoiled sport…I didn't say anything!" Katara walked over to him. She had a huge smile on her face.

"You have the cutest smile I've ever seen! You're laugh's cute too! You really should laugh or smile more often, it suits you…" Zuko was a little shocked by this. He was always told that laughter was a sign of weakness. So was smiling, and yet here she was telling him to do both more often. She was right though, they did suit him, and that's what he was afraid of. Smiling and laughing suiting him, is what got him into trouble in the first place. Because of these "weaknesses" his father and his sister hated him.

Zuko gulped down the lump in his throat started frowning again as sad memories started to flood his mind. _Why, why are there so few people who think that smiling is okay? Why did I have to be born into a nation that despises the very thing I am? I want to change things. I WILL become the next Fire Lord. I WILL make things right!_

Zuko walked off without a word to anyone, but Iroh knew what was on his mind. Aang started to follow him, but Iroh stopped him in his tracks. "He needs someone else to talk to, your day will come another day." Then Iroh looked over at Katara and nodded for her to follow Zuko. "I believe that Zuko needs a feminine audience this evening." Katara nodded and followed Zuko to the spring.

When she reached her destination, she saw Zuko kneeling by the spring staring into the water at his scar. His fingertips traced it lightly so as not to hurt himself. He heard a twig snap behind him and whirled around to come face to face with Katara. She had concern all over her warm, tan face. Her bright, oceanic blue eyes shined in the moonlight that cascaded over the cool crisp ripples of the spring. "Zuko?" she whispered. "Is there something you want to talk about?" she hoped that Zuko would open up to her on his own, rather than his uncle telling her everything. "Please Zuko…I want to help you."

Zuko simply motioned for her to sit next to him. As she approached him she noticed the slim tears trickling down his face. He wasn't sobbing or making a sound. He was simply crying. She sat down and tucked her skirt underneath her. She started staring at the water with him in the moonlight. The wind picked up and upset the silence that surrounded them.

"I hate my father." Zuko stated. Katara turned to face him. She was shocked that he would be so blunt about something like that. She knew that his father must be horrible man for him to actually hate him. Something in Zuko's eyes told her that he really did hate him. She found hating her father would take a great deal. She knew that he must have done something else to upset him.

"You remember my mother's picture right?" Zuko still did not turn to look at her. "She was kind, brave, and the most wonderful woman in all the Fire Nation." Katara stared at him. She could tell that he loved his mother. She had probably given him something to live for and believe in as a child, but she wanted to find out what.

"You see Katara…my parents weren't exactly in love." Katara was confused. She didn't actually understand how royalty worked.

"My father met my mother when he first became Fire Lord. He was traveling through a Southern village when he saw my mother. No one rivaled her beauty. He was immediately taken by her presence."

"Zuko, wouldn't that be "love at first sight"?" Zuko's frown started to grow.

"Not quite…it was more like lust." His eyes gave off an aura of sadness, despair, and hatred. "My father wanted my mother's body, not my mother." Katara scooted herself closer to him. She knew that this would get messy and emotional. She also knew that it was a once in a lifetime opportunity that Zuko talked about himself. She listened intently, knowing that what he was about to say could change her opinion of everything.

"My father pretty much kidnapped my mother and took her to Fire Nation palace. Needless to say…I'm the product of rape. What my father didn't anticipate was my conception. To clear his name he married my mother. She never loved my father, but she loved me. My father didn't want me, so he forced my uncle to be my "father"."

"Zuko?" Katara said in a whisper.

"Yes?"

"What was your mother's name?"

"Salandriel. It means lily of the sunset."

"Zuko, why are you telling me all of this?"

"Because for some reason, I trust you. I don't know why, but I feel like I can share things with you. You have a certain presence about you that makes me feel safe. I'm even surprised by my openness." Zuko started to lightly smile. Katara smiled too.

"What happened then…to your mother I mean."

"Well, after my sister was born, my father started to make his plans for World Domination. My mother disapproved of his plans. So, in response, she started gathering people into a rebellion. She had many people from the Fire Nation supporting peace with the other nations. My uncle and I were some of the most active members. I was only 8 years old at the time. My sister Zula pretended to be a member of the rebellion, but was actually a spy for my father. She wrote down a list of all the names of the members. Once my father found out who these people were, he had each and every one of them executed. Including my mother. He spared my uncle and I because we said we'd support him instead. We were cowards. 4 years later I was burned and what not. That was when I started my search for the Avatar. I didn't actually want my father's approval. I wanted to be the heir to the throne again. I thought that maybe, when I was Fire Lord, I could fulfill my mother's dream of peace with all nations."

Katara was speechless. She saw a brand new side of Zuko. She wanted so desperately to like him, now that he was joining them. She finally found her reason to like him. He had compassion for his people. He loved his nation. Before she even knew what she was doing, she was leaning towards him.

"Um, Katara, what are you…" Zuko was cut off by Katara's lips. His face flushed. He had never had this kind of affection from anyone before. He wrapped his arms around her back to hold her up. He wanted to hold her as close to him as possible. All of these new feelings came to him. He had no idea what to do with them. So he simply closed his eyes and enjoyed.

Mwahahahaha! I cut you off! CLIFF HANGER!

Once again, sorry this took so long, lots o' school stuff.

REVIEW DAMN IT!

I want to know what you think…HONEST!


	5. Is This Love?

**Disclaimer:** Why God? Why must I remind myself that I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender! GGGGAAAAAAHHHHHH!

**Special thanks:** Once again my almost infamous special thanks list. If you review, then you are put on my list. Feel free to use the list idea as much as you want…you don't even need to cite it! This is for people who have reviewed 1 or more of my chapters!

Luna Chaos

almostinsane

nori12

Lionessmon

MattsLittleSister

Alexandra Bordeaux

Elfluver13

Arya Svit-Kona

C.A.M.E.O.1 and only

ditz4lyf

Rebirth of the Phoenix

Dolphin Water

FireChildSlytherin5 

Zutara Lover

sesshoumaru's son

Nikanuu

frenchfrypsycho

Demonic-One

latafmodginkianp1618

DemonDaughter

dark-kishy

Thanks to every one of you. Fluff and steaminess are coming up soon! There is also some gore and violence in this one. By the way, I'm sorry to those of you who thought my last chapter seemed too unlike something that could happen in Avatar. I'll try to keep closer to the true nature of the story. I am also sorry to those of you who thought my last chapter wasn't as good as the others. I promise that this one is really good. Sorry!

**Is This Love?**

Zuko's head was spinning. He had no idea what emotions were coursing through his veins, but he felt something alright. He knew that this was different from anything he had ever experienced. He felt the warmth of Katara's body radiating off of her. He felt at piece with her in his arms. This felt right, and he didn't know why.

Katara's lips parted from his and he felt a sense of disappointment. He wanted to kiss her again and again. Katara looked up at him. Then a strange look came to her face as she realized what she had just done. Her eyes quivered and her face flushed a deep red. She quickly got up and ran away.

"Katara! Wait, don't leave!" Zuko shouted. He bit his bottom lip. _Maybe she didn't really mean it…it could have just been an impulse…damn._ Zuko wanted her to come back, but he knew she wouldn't.

Katara, feeling that she had run far enough, stopped to catch her breathe. She sat down on the cold, hard ground and looked around. The moon was high in the sky and Katara had no idea where she was. _Am I lost? SHIT!_ She started to walk around, hoping desperately to notice a familiar landmark.

"How do I get myself into these things?" she grumbled. "They're never gonna find me."

Iroh, Sokka, and Aang ran through the bushes and saw Zuko sitting at the foot of the spring. Zuko looked up at them with a questioning look on his face. "What's wrong?"

"We heard you yelling!" Iroh belted. "We thought YOU were in trouble." Before any of them had any chance to argue, Sokka spoke up.

"Zuko, where's my sister?"

"She…ran off. I thought she would have run to you guys. She's with you isn't she?"

"We haven't seen her since she came to talk to you." All three of them looked at each other. "OH FUCK!" they said in unison. They immediately got up.

"Which way did she run?"

"That way." Zuko said pointing. "She went north."

"Okay then, north we go." Aang chorused.

"What was I thinking, kissing Zuko like that? I must be out of my mind. He's our ally now, but still. He's a hot-tempered, serious-natured, firebender prince. His father is my enemy for God's sakes. He probably thinks I'm easy now. The again, he did hold me against him…" At her last sentence Katara started blushing. "Maybe he does like me."

She was sitting and holding her legs close to her chest. It was getting colder, but she tried to ignore it. She knew that if she focused on the negative, it would only create problems.

"What are all of these feelings? Why am I freaking out so much about a mistake? Was it a mistake? Oh my God…is this love? Do I love him? That's not possible! It could be that I'm just a sucker for his sad past. Then again, there's something about him. His eyes are cold, yet warm at the same time. I know that there's another person inside of him who's ready to come out. I may not be in love with the angry-aggressive Prince Zuko we first met, but I could be in love with the Prince Zuko inside of him." She started yawning uncontrollably. "Maybe I should stay here and sleep for a little bit." She curled up next to a tree and just as she was about to fall asleep, she heard a noise coming from a bush in the distance. She cracked an eye open to see what it was. When she didn't see anything, she finally fell into a deep sleep.

Aang, Zuko, and Iroh had just about had it with Sokka. He had been screaming, ranting, and raving about how he was gonna kill her, once he found her that is.

"SOKKA SHUT UP!" Aang screamed. "You're not the only one who's worried about Katara…" Aang's face slowly faced downward. That was when Zuko noticed the tears rolling down Aang's young, innocent, and love-stricken face. Zuko's heart sunk. He could tell before that the Avatar had a crush on Katara, but now he was certain. He felt even worse because it was his fault that she ran away.

"Uncle…" Zuko whispered.

"Yes Prince Zuko, I know…" he whispered back

"Hey! Look!" Sokka shouted with joy. "Katara's footprints! They're Katara's footprints!"

"We're getting closer! We'll find her in no time!" Aang sang happily.

Katara's dreams were rudely interrupted by a similar sound to the one she heard earlier. Her eyes fluttered open. She rubbed them wearily and yawned, stretching her arms out at the same time. "What is that?" She slowly pulled herself up by using the tree as support. As her eyes started adjusting to the mild sunrise that was creeping over the horizon, the sound kept coming closer and closer to her. She started to become nervous and fidgety, whatever it was making those sounds she didn't like it.

Then, all of the sudden, the noises stopped. The entire jungle became dead silent. Not even bugs or birds could be heard.

"It's way too quite," Katara thought, "Something's definitely wrong." She walked over to the bushes where the sounds came from, but didn't see anything. "Hello? Is someone here?" Sweat dripped down her face, and her brow furrowed. She gulped down the lump in her throat and ignored the sickening feeling in her stomach. She reached down and parted the plants just to make sure.

A loud screech rang out, and Katara screamed from being startled. She fell backwards onto her back and looked up to see a large, red animal screeching and leaping towards her. She rolled out of the way, but it moved too fast. The creature stabbed her right shoulder, causing her to bleed tremendously. She yelped in pain and clenched her arm in response. _Please…please find me…_ Katara closed her eyes and awaited death. She couldn't fight this creature, whatever it was. It was too powerful for her to overcome. Just when she thought it was all over, she felt nothing. She opened her eyes to see Zuko stabbing the creature in the throat with a concealed knife. He twisted the dagger. The monster let out the most agonizingly strange sound she had ever heard. Blood spurted out of its neck. Zuko slipped the dagger out and let it drop to the ground. The monster was lying in a pool of its own blood.

Zuko was breathing heavily. The blood had brought out the true warrior in him, and like all warriors, he craved more. His eyes were fixed on his fallen prey. He turned and pulled Katara up, fixing her into an embrace. Katara never knew that he could be so incredible violent, and yet protective at the same time. Since Zuko had run ahead Aang, Sokka, and Iroh had just caught up. They saw the blood enveloped monster and Zuko holding Katara in his arms.

Aang's anger started to swell as jealousy raged through out his whole being. Sokka was speechless with his eyes wide with hatred and disbelief. Iroh seemed rather indifferent towards the whole scene, as if he had already seen this side to Zuko.

Katara's emotions finally left her body and she started sobbing uncontrollable. "I was s…ss…so scared." She sobbed in-between breaths. "I thought I was going to die!" She cried and cried in his arms. She held onto his shirt with such a ferocity that one might think that it was the source of her life's energy.

"I never thought that you of all people would save me…why did you? I was so mean to you in the past, I didn't deserve to be saved." Zuko remained silent while holding her. Then after a moment of thought he responded.

"You didn't know me well enough then. And don't you ever say that you don't deserve to be saved. I saved you because you're one of the only people who have ever tried to understand my situation. I feel safe telling you how I think and feel. I haven't felt this way about anyone in a long time. You've given me the one thing I've wanted this whole time."

"What's that?" Katara sniffled.

"You've given me acknowledgement of my pain. You acknowledged the fact that I have gone through tough times. All I wanted was for someone to agreed, accept, or acknowledge my existence."

Aang had had just about enough of Katara and Zuko's little moment. He walked over and grabbed Katara from Zuko's arms and smiled.

"C'mon Katara, let's head back…" Iroh, Zuko, Katara, and Sokka stared at him blankly. Without saying another word, Aang escorted Katara back to their camp. Sokka and Iroh turned their attention toward Zuko, who's face became grave with the recent events.

Zuko looked back at his earlier victim. He walked over to it, kneeled down, and asked for forgiveness. Iroh did the same.

"What're you two doing?" Sokka asked rudely.

"I didn't just kill some animal Sokka." Zuko responded, "I killed a sacred animal without thinking. This poor dragon, just a baby too. Forgive me."

"That's a baby dragon!"

"Yeah, it's one of the Fire Nation's most sacred symbols. I only hope I can make up for the defilement of such a wonderful being." With that said, the three boys walked towards their camp, staying several feet behind Aang and Katara.

That night Aang went to bed early, he needed to calm down his pent up rage and jealousy towards Zuko's suave speech from earlier. Sokka decided to spend this time figuring out why his sister ran from Zuko in the first place. He hoped it wasn't because of Zuko's teenage hormones.

The young water warrior saw Katara sitting by herself near the campfire. Zuko and Iroh were off a ways, probably discussing the same issue that they were about to. Sokka sat himself down next to his younger sister. He put his arm around her in a brotherly and protective fashion. He decided to lighten the mood a little.

"Hey, look at all those bright starts up there. Aren't they something?" Sokka smiled a genuine smile, knowing that his sister was completely enamored by stars.

Katara looked up at the sky and couldn't help but to smile. The stars really were wonderful that night. How they twinkled and glowed in the midst of total darkness. They were sort of her role models in that respect. She wanted to twinkle and glow in the midst of darkness too.

"Yes, they really are wonderful."

"Are you alright Kat?" Katara looked at her brother now, who hadn't used that nickname in a long time.

"I guess so. I…I just have a lot on my mind."

"Yeah, I hear ya. Hey, question."

Katara turned to face her brother. "Hhmm?"

"Why did you run away from Zuko in the first place?" Katara seemed startled by the question and looked up at the sky as if asking it for answers.

"I…I…I think I accidentally kissed him."

"What do you mean "accidentally"? You either did or you didn't."

"Okay then, I did kiss him, but I don't know if I meant it. That's why I said accidentally." She started blushing and prayed that he wouldn't yell at her. She was still shooken up by her encounter with the dragon, and Zuko's saving techniques.

"Oh, I see. Well, only you can answer that Kitty Kat." Katara was surprised by her brother's words. Especially his use of all her childhood nicknames. But what he said had some truth to it. Only she really knew whether or not she loved him.

"I think, I meant it." She said, no longer afraid of her brother getting mad at her.

"That's what I thought. I was pretty certain." He smiled wicked, as if teasing her in his normal brotherly ways.

"What do you mean you were pretty certain? Was it that obvious?"

"Well, I'm your brother, so it's easy to tell when you like someone. You get this look in your eyes. The only thing I'm worried about is how Aang will take it. He likes you you know."

"Yeah, I figured as much. Wait, are you saying that Zuko likes me back?"

"He totally does! God! He pretty much gets a hard-on by thinking of you! He doesn't even have to see you!"

"SOKKA! How could you say something like that?"

"I can because it's true! Geez. I'm a guy, I know this stuff."

"I guess I'll have to take your word for it then." She giggled.

"Maybe you should go talk to him." Sokka said with a serious tone of voice.

"I think you're right." Katara got up and noticed Iroh walking away from Zuko. He smiled and sat next to Sokka. She ignored it and went up to where Zuko was sitting.

She sat down next to her like her brother did to her. "Hey…" Zuko turned his head to face her.

"Uumm, hey." He turned his head away from her and stared at the campfire. He was fiddling his fingers, not knowing what else to do in such an awkward situation. Her turned to face her once more. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry? For what?"

"For scaring you earlier. I was only concentrating on protecting you when I killed that dragon. Please forgive my hasty actions."

"You really care about me?" His demeanor started to change. A smile slowly crept itself onto his face.

"Yeah, I really do. You mean a lot to me."

"What are you trying to say?"

"What I'm trying to say is that I love you." Before Katara could react, his lips were pressed against hers. Her eyes widened with this sudden action. Then slowly, she closed her eyes. Zuko wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her almost limp body up against his. _We're so close…_Katara wrapped her arms around his neck to hold herself up. Then when she least expected it, he slipped his tongue into her mouth. Katara let out a slight moan. She had never been like this with anyone. She wanted more of him. She never wanted it to stop.

They finally parted lips to catch their breath. Katara's lips were numb from the pressure. Now she knew she loved him, it wasn't a mystery any more.

"I love you too Zuko." Zuko's face seemed to glow with happiness and pride. He pulled her by the waist so that her back was resting on his chest. He ran his fingers through her long mahogany brown tresses. She looked at him with a look of affection and appreciation. Hopefully, they would be together for a long time. They both slowly dosed off and fell into a deep sleep filled to the brim with wonderful dreams.

Yay! A little more action at the end for all you Zutara lovers! There will be more and better to come. As you have all noticed, this story is rated T, but not too many T rated things have happened. Oh how that will change! Please continue to read and REVIEW my story :cough cough: My next chapter will be up soon, so not to worry! Until next time!


	6. Truth be Told

**Disclaimer:** For the love of God and all that is holy…I DO NOT OWN AVATAR THE LAST AIRBENDER!

**Special Thanks:** Here it is! Ready and waiting for new additions! Except this time I've decided to add yet another perk to reviewing my story. If you review, I will respond to you no matter what! It's about time I became personable! This is for people who have reviewed 1 or more of my chapters. Feel free to review, because maybe I'll give hints to the plot when I respond to you…

LunaChaos

Elfluver13

Lionessmon

ditz4lyf

C.A.M.E.O.1 and only

FireChildSlytherin5

Zutara Lover

Rebirth of the Phoenix

almostinsane

nori12

MattsLittleSister

Alexandra Bordeaux

Arya Svit-Kona

Dolphin Water

sesshoumaru's son

Nikanuu

Demonic-One

frenchfrypsycho

latafmodginkianp1618

DemonDaughter

dark-kishy

seya492

HanyouRiyumi

iceprincessrules

Sayiangirl 

My 'Bittersweet' Song

Thanks to each and every one of you! P.S. March 14th is when the second DVD of Avatar comes out…MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

Truth Be Told 

Zuko was being shaken rather roughly. He opened and rubbed his eyes to see Sokka staring at him.

"You better get up, Aang's coming. I'm pretty sure you wouldn't want to have him see you and Katara like this…" Zuko's eyes widened. _Aaawww shit._ Then it hit him. Sokka shook him awake. A look of horror spread across his face. He knew for a fact that Sokka had hated him since day 1, and now here he was with Katara on his chest. Sokka noticed his nervousness and started to chuckle.

"Don't worry about it. I don't hate you **that** much. Besides, you make my sister happy. That's all that really matters. To tell you the truth, I encouraged her." Zuko couldn't believe his ears. It seemed like Sokka had suddenly switched from hating him, to encouraging his own sister to love him. He was, needless to say utterly confused.

"Would you get up already? He's coming!" Zuko quickly, but gently moved Katara off of his personage. Sokka sat down next to her and put her head on his lap. Just in time too. Aang finally came up and sat down with them.

"Good morning Sokka!" He exclaimed happily. Both Sokka and Zuko nodded a "hello" in response so as not to disturb the now sleeping Katara. Aang turned and glared at Zuko.

"I wasn't talking to you." He rudely blurted out. Zuko was taken back in surprise. Aang was not one to behave in such a rude and conceited manner, but then again love makes you do crazy things. Zuko decided to ignore his remark and got up to find his uncle's whereabouts.

He found his uncle in his usual spot, right next to the spring. Iroh smiled as Zuko joined him in his favorite spot. Zuko's face became troubled.

"Uncle…when are we going to get off of this island?" Iroh didn't know what to say. The thought never entered his mind.

"Uh, I honestly don't know Prince Zuko. We could be here for a long time you know. This might be a great opportunity for you to train. We know there are dragons here. That will certainly be a benefit to your training." Zuko was worried.

"They may be beneficial, but the one we saw was the one I killed! They wouldn't help me."

"You never know Prince Zuko. You may need to earn their trust, but that can be done. We should try to find them while we have time."

"Don't worry about it, I'll look for them. I think it would be best if I went alone. If I don't find anything, I'll return to camp. If I do find something, don't expect me to return for some time."

"Understood Prince Zuko. Good luck." Zuko got up and returned to the spot where he slayed the dragon.

He finally approached the clearing. Where there was once a dead dragon, there was now a grave. The Fire Nation held dragons in high esteem. It was said that the first firebenders learned their techniques from the sun, and their dragon allies. Zuko bowed at the grave to show respect. _Please. Send me a sign. Guide my footsteps with your spirit. I wish to learn from your relatives. If I do not, my people will be killed. Have mercy on me and my fellow neighbors of the Fire Nation._ Suddenly a wind blew through the forest. Zuko felt the dragon spirit's presence guiding him. _Thank you._ Zuko followed the aura of the spirit for many long hours, well into the night.

When Katara woke up it was late afternoon. She felt somewhat feverish. She felt her forehead. _Wow, I must be pretty sick if my forehead is this warm._ She started to shiver.

"Hey, are you feeling alright?" Katara looked up to see Sokka's worried expression looking back at her.

"I think I'm sick. I don't feel to good." Sokka started to smirk. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Because it's from all the making out you did with Zuko, that's all. I just think it's funny."

"WHAT! SOKKA I HATE YOU! YOU'RE SUCH A JERK!" Sokka threw his hands up in defense.

"Hey I'm sorry I'm sorry! I was just kidding! Don't kill me!" Katara started growling at Sokka. Then she crossed her arms and turned away from him with a "humph".

"C'mon Katara don't be like this. I was only kidding."

"Kidding about what?" Asked Aang.

"Oh hi Aang heh heh…didn't see you there." Sokka said nervously. Katara's expression was equally nervous.

"What are you two up to?" Aang knew something was up. "Well, have either of you seen Zuko? I need to speak with him."

"He'll be gone for a while." Iroh called out. He finally reached them and sat down. "He's off to do some solitary meditating. He'll be gone for quite some time. He feels awful about killing that poor dragon. He needs some time to himself to contemplate on it and ask its spirit for forgiveness." Iroh had a wise expression. It was as if he could see all. He crossed his arms in a solemn way, which further accentuated his wisdom.

"Wait a minute, you're telling me that he can talk to spirits? Isn't that like impossible?"

"No Sokka, I'm afraid that it is not impossible. Spirits are around us all the time. You have to have a certain kind of training to communicate with them. Either that, or they reveal themselves to you." Iroh nodded his head as he spoke. All eyes were on him.

"It's true you know." Aang said. "I can talk to spirits too, but I didn't think that a person like Zuko could."

"Technically he can't." Iroh stated. "He can only communicate with dragon spirits." Iroh started to smile at an unseen image. Everyone looked at him in confusion.

"What's so amusing?" Katara asked inquisitively.

"Well, to be honest, there is something that Zuko and I are keeping from you all." They all stared blankly at him, not knowing what to say. "Zuko was born with a great gift. And what's even better is that his father has no idea!" He started to laugh so hard that his whole stomach started to shake.

"Um, explain maybe?" Sokka said.

Iroh coughed and started to tell them his wonderful secret. "Well, all of you know how the Avatar is re-incarnated right?" They all nodded. "Well, Zuko isn't a re-incarnation, but he has special abilities that were passed down to him through many generations. Each nation has a patron animal that was said to have helped your ancestors learn their bending abilities along with other things. The patron animal of the Air Nomads is the flying bison. For the Water Tribes it's the great wolf beasts. For the Earth Kingdom, it is the great tigers. However, the Fire Nation's is the mighty dragon. In each of the four nations, an animal lord or lordess is born. This person can communicate, tame, and learn techniques from their nation's patron animal. It is a rare and special ability that only few have. It was prophesized that one of my brother's children would be one of these great lords. The sages spoke to my brother and they said that it was Princess Zula, but they were wrong. It is actually Zuko! My brother thought that Zuko was weaker than Zula when in actuality he is the greater of the two. He has untapped power that my brother will regret provoking. Mind you he is not and never will be as powerful as the Avatar, but he certainly won't be something to sneer at." He lightly chuckled to himself, picturing his brother's surprise.

"Holy shit…" was all that Sokka could say. Katara sat with her mouth gapping, and Aang had a stern look on his face.

"Solitary meditation? Yeah right. He's going to train with the dragons of this island, isn't he?" Iroh choked a bit at the boy's intelligence, but answered honestly with a "yes".

"Are you sure it's him?" Sokka said, still in bewilderment.

"Truth be told." Iroh laughed. "I knew he had the gift the moment I laid eyes on him. It's still amazing to me how the sages could've gotten it wrong."

Aang looked like he was deep in thought. He wanted to like Zuko so badly, and he did, but he knew that something was happening between him and Katara. Aang had always loved Katara, because she was one of the only people who believed so strongly in his abilities. He wanted to think that she only thought that way about him, but maybe she was like that with everyone, even Zuko. Aang sighed and decided that he needed to meditate.

Zuko hated climbing mountains. He often wondered why dragons seemed to love living on mountaintops, but then he realized that they were hard to climb. This was probably a defensive maneuver on their part. _Smart bastards…_

Finally after a few hours of climbing and resting periodically, he reached a large cave. He turned toward the sunset and took in a deep and calming breath. _Thank you spirit, may I always serve your kind._ He bowed as a sign of respect to the spirit and turned toward the cave. Heat was emulating from it. _My kind of place…_

"Dragon lords! I am Prince Zuko! I have come to ask you for training!" he shouted. Suddenly a great burst of heat came from inside the cave as a large and spectacular Chinese dragon came forth. Its golden eyes looked down upon Prince Zuko, and devoured his every feature. From his scar to his similar eyes. From his fit physique to his royal presence. The dragon's glistening, deep red scales shown with anticipation. He knew who this boy was and was eager to speak with him. The dragon spoke to Zuko in a series of hisses, growls, and strange sounds. Zuko knew well that this was the language of dragons, and he responded in the same tongue.

"I found this place through the guidance of one of your kinsmen. His spirit guided me here. I killed him in defense earlier, and I will never forgive myself for it. I ask for your forgiveness, even though my sorrow is not tribute enough."

The dragon remained silent, but nodded its head as a sign of forgiveness. "Come with me." The dragon said. "While you train with us, you will not be Zuko, you shall be given a dragon name. From this day on, your name shall be Ona Tatsu." The great horned dragon coiled around Zuko who showed no fear towards the great beast. "Do you not approve?" The mighty dragon inquired.

"On the contrary." Zuko stated. "It is a fitting name, and I accept it humbly." Without saying another word, the two became immersed into the giant cave where Zuko would meet the great dragon's tribe.

That night Aang laid awake while the others slumbered. He wanted to find out if Zuko and Katara really were together. He wanted to know how long it would be until they left the island. He wanted to know how Zuko and his Uncle got onto the island. Princess Zula kidnapped Aang, Katara, and Sokka, and when her ship exploded they were flung onto the island. That meant that Zuko and Iroh had to have been on the ship. _But why were they there? Isn't he banished? Isn't it too risky to be on his sister's ship? What were they doing?_ Aang's mind was clouded with questions and he doubted he would get any sleep that night. _How long has he known about being an animal lord? How long is he going to be training? What will he learn?_ Finally the questions became too much for his 12-year old brain to handle, and he eventually drifted off to sleep.

There you go! I am terribly sorry about the delay. A lot of stuff was going on while I was trying to write this chapter. The next chapter will be here much quicker I promise! I also promise to keep up my deal with responding to all of your reviews! AND GIVING HINTS! OOOOHHHH BOY! Until next time lovies!


End file.
